EU states who refuse to join ban on Moscow oil imports are ‘complicit’ in Russia’s war crimes, Ukraine official says
- EU countries blocking oil ban branded ‘complicit in war crimes’ by raging Kyiv
- US and Britain have already announced bans on Russian oil imports
- EU Commission president put forward ban at European Parliament yesterday
- Liz Truss: ‘Doing business with Putin’s regime is morally bankrupt’
European Union countries blocking a ban on imports of Russian oil were last night denounced by Ukraine as complicit in war crimes.
The European Commission yesterday unveiled plans to target Moscow by phasing out supplies over the next six months.
But a number of member states including Hungary and Slovakia demanded exemptions, saying they would not have enough time to adapt.
The US and Britain have already announced their own bans on Russian oil imports.
Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament she wants to phase out Russian oil over the next six months. But member states including Hungary have opposed the move
Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said: ‘If there is any country in Europe who will continue to oppose the embargo on Russian oil, there will be good reason to say, this country is complicit in the crimes committed by Russia in the territory of Ukraine.’
Commission president Ursula von der Leyen put forward the ban on Russian oil imports as she appeared at the European Parliament yesterday.
‘Putin must pay a price, a high price, for his brutal aggression,’ she told MEPs. ‘Let us be clear, it will not be easy.
Russian pipelines supplying oil and gas to Europe (pictured) would be turned off under the new sanctions package, with the possible exception of imports heading to Hungary and Slovakia
‘Some member states are strongly dependent on Russian oil. But we simply have to work on it.’
The EU plans require approval among all the bloc’s 27 states.
The row came as Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced Russian firms will be banned from using British-based accountancy and public relations firms under fresh sanctions.
The measures will also see travel bans and asset freezes imposed on individuals linked to Russian broadcasters and newspapers, and sanctions against mainstream media organisations accused of spreading lies about the war.
Miss Truss said: ‘Doing business with Putin’s regime is morally bankrupt.